DC
Stands Down On Strict Gun LawDistrict of Columbia officials announced Thursday they will not appeal
a federal court ruling that struck down parts of the citys restrictive
gun laws, a move that paves the way for more gun owners to obtain concealed
carry permits. In June, a federal appeals court ruled against a D.C. law
that requires people to have a good reason to fear injury in order to
carry a handgun, saying it infringes on residents' Second Amendment rights.
Because of the stringent requirement, only about 120 people currently have
a permit to carry a concealed handgun in the city. FoxVOA VIEW: Good win.

Watters
Rips NYT Columnist's Call For 2nd Amendment RepealThe Five discussed a new column by conservative New York Times writer
Bret Stephens in which he calls for the repeal of the Second Amendment.
"I have never understood the conservative fetish for the Second Amendment,"
Stephens wrote. "From a law-and-order standpoint, more guns means more
murder."He wrote that the text of the amendment is "quaint," in that the
"well-regulated militias" meant to secure the nation are no longer in New
England farmhouses, but in silos in North Dakota. Jesse Watters asked whether
Stephens would be interested in banning fast food to prevent heart disease,
in the same manner. Fox NewsVOA VIEW: Stevens is a nut job.

The
NRA's Strategic Ploy On Bump StocksA quick glance at the TV Thursday afternoon produced a bit of a stunner:
The National Rifle Association announced its support of further regulations
on bump stocks, the mechanism that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock used
to turn a semi-automatic weapon into something resembling a fully automatic
one and murder 58 people. "The NRA believes that devices intended to allow
semi-automatic rifles to function like fully automatic rifles should be
subject to additional regulations," Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox, the group's
top two leaders, said in the statement. "In an increasingly dangerous world,
the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans' Second
Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities."
CNNVOA VIEW: CNN is not happy with the NRA's
smart move.

Republican-Led
Bill On Bump Stocks Expected To Be Introduced Thursday In HouseFlorida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo is planning to introduce legislation
Thursday to ban the sale of bump fire stocks, an accessory that can allow
semi-automatic firearms to rapidly increase their rate of firing rounds,
similar to that of an automatic weapon, which are restricted by federal
law. "I think we are on the verge of a breakthrough when it comes to sensible
gun policy," Curbelo told reporters Thursday, saying his office has been
"flooded" with calls from other lawmakers asking about the bill.
CNNVOA VIEW: CNN hates the fact that Republicans
are taking the high road.

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North
Korea 'Decoders' Offer Warnings About Rogue Nation's Nuclear ProgramThousands of miles outside the nations capital, a group of non-government
experts are using North Koreas propaganda to track the regimes nuclear
weapons program - and now they are offering a dire warning. The analysts
at the Middlebury Institutes Center for Nonproliferation studies in Monterey,
Calif., can pick out detailed information about the rogue nation's military
capabilities just from looking at photos. "Everybody thinks theyre a joke,
like theyre some kind of incompetent buffoons," nonproliferation expert
Jeffrey Lewis told the Wall Street Journal as part of the new video series
Moving Upstream. Fox

In
Speech, Donald Trump Jr. Decries Left's 'Atmosphere Of Hatred'Donald Trump Jr. lashed out against his fathers critics Thursday,
saying the president has been unfairly attacked for his both sides comment
about the August violence in Charlottesville, Va. The president's eldest
son blamed an atmosphere of hatred from the left that he said has been
brewing on university campuses. Donald Trump Jr. spoke at an annual fundraising
gala at Faulkner University, a private Christian college in Alabama. He
stood behind the presidents comment that both sides were to blame for
violence in Charlottesville that led to the death of one counter-protesting
woman and left multiple people injured.FoxVOA VIEW: Liberals are showing a
lot of anti America hate.

Tropical
Storm Nate Could Strike US Gulf Coast As Hurricane This WeekendA tropical storm in the southwestern Caribbean is forecast to strengthen
into a hurricane that could affect the U.S. Gulf Coast. The system, formerly
a tropical depression, strengthened into a tropical storm near the coast
of Nicaragua this morning. Tropical Storm Nate was moving into eastern
Honduras, churning 40 miles west-southwest of Puerto Lempira, Honduras,
as of 5 p.m. ET, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical
storm is pounding Nicaragua with rain heavy enough to cause life-threatening
flash floods and mudslides. ABC NewsVOA VIEW: It looks like Nate will be a
mild storm.

Anti-Abortion
Rep. Tim Murphy Resigns After Report He Asked Lover To End PregnancyPennsylvania Rep. Tim Murphy has resigned after a report surfaced earlier
this week that he had asked an extramarital lover to end her pregnancy.
Murphy, a Republican who co-sponsored a 20-week abortion ban that passed
in the House Tuesday, allegedly asked his lover to terminate her pregnancy,
according to text message records acquired by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Shannon Edwards, 32, whom Murphy recently
admitted to having an affair with, messaged the 65-year-old congressman
after an anti-abortion statement was posted on his offices Facebook account
in January. ABC News

White
House Chief Of Staff John Kelly's Phone May Have Been CompromisedAs far back as December 2016, the White House believes chief of staff
John Kelly's personal cell phone was breached, according to a report Thursday
by Politico. If true, it's possible hackers were able to access data on
his phone both while he was Homeland Security secretary and White House
chief of staff. It is, however, not clear whether or what data may have
been accessed, according to the report. The hacking was discovered over
the summer, when Kelly complained that the phone wasn't working -- and
hadn't for months -- and asked technical staff to take a look at it, according
to the report. Politico reports that staffers tried to figure out what
had happened to the phone for "several days" before concluding it had been
compromised. CBS News

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Trump
Administration Moves To Dismiss First Lawsuit Against Transgender Military
BanU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys moved to have the lawsuit
against the administration's transgender military ban dismissed in a filing
Wednesday night, arguing that the "challenge is premature several times
over." This is the first of four lawsuits that have been filed in opposition
to the administration's ban against transgender people serving in the military
and it's the first DOJ response to one of the lawsuits. DOJ argues that
because the policy has not been fully implemented and none of the plaintiffs
"face a current or imminent threat of injury during the interim period
while the policy is being studied," it should be dismissed. ABC
NewsVOA VIEW: A reasonable view.

The
Vet Whose Bump Stock Makes A Gun Fire Like A Machine GunThe inspiration for a popular but controversial accessory that allows
semi-automatic rifles to fire like machine guns began with an itch. Jeremiah
Cottle had just recovered from a brain injury that cut short his Air Force
career and was out shooting with a friend near his hometown in central
Texas. "We weren't able to fire as fast as we wanted," Cottle recalled
in a 2011 interview with a local newspaper, The Albany News in Texas.
NBC
News

Leading
House Democrat Calls On Pelosi To Step DownA high-ranking House Democrat on Thursday called on Rep. Nancy Pelosi
of California to step down as minority leader to make way for a new generation.
"Our leadership does a tremendous job," said Rep. Linda Sanchez of California,
"but I do think we have this real breadth and depth of talent within our
caucus, and I do think it's time to pass the torch to a new generation
of leaders, and I want to be a part of that transition. I want to see that
happen." Sanchez, the fifth-ranking Democrat in the House, was interviewed
on C-SPAN by two reporters who asked her about the current makeup of Democratic
leadership. NBC NewsVOA VIEW: Republicans don't want a change
- Pelosi is annoying.

Rev.
Graham: 'Real Object Of Hate In Our Nation' Is 'God Himself'Commenting on the rise of social division and hatred in America, evangelist
Franklin Graham said that, overall, what is happening "is an increasing
hatred of God" and "His Word," and that the primary target of hate, when
all is said and done, is "none other than God Himself." Franklin Graham,
who is the son of world-renowned pastor Billy Graham, made his remarks
in the October issue of Decision magazine, which is published by the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). "America has flaunted its
sexual immorality to the world," said Rev. Franklin Graham. CNS
News

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Paul
Ryan Says Congress "Just Beginning" To Look At Bump StocksSpeaker of the House Paul Ryan suggested that bump stocks should be
regulated during a news conference Thursday afternoon from Dixon Valve
& Coupling Company in Chestertown, Maryland. However, the Speaker called
for more information on the devices before making regulatory decisions.
"A lot of us are coming up to speed with just what this is, but having
said that, fully automatic weapons have been outlawed for many, many years,"
Ryan said during the conference. CBS News

Alec
Baldwin: 'What You See With Trump Is How Hitler Got Elected'Although he said he was in no way comparing President Donald Trump
to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, actor and left-wing activist Alec Baldwin
nonetheless said, "What you see with Trump is how Hitler got elected."
Baldwin, who often parodies Trump on Saturday Night Live, made his remarks
during an interview for the the October issue of British GQ. Commenting
on President Trump's success, Baldwin said, "Now, I am by no means comparing
Trump to Hitler, I would never do that.... What you see with Trump is how
Hitler got elected. Someone who will say anything to people because of
their economic interest." CNS NewsVOA VIEW: Baldwin is an idiot.

Trump
Expected To Decertify Iran Nuclear DealPresident Donald Trump is expected to announce soon that he will decertify
the landmark international deal to curb Irans nuclear program, a senior
administration official said on Thursday, in a step that potentially could
cause the 2015 accord to unravel. The official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said Trump is also expected to roll out a broader U.S. strategy
on Iran that would be more confrontational.
ReutersVOA VIEW: Good!

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New
U.S. Rule On Payday Loans To Hurt Industry, Boost BanksRevenues for the $6 billion payday loan industry will shrivel under
a new U.S. rule restricting lenders ability to profit from high-interest,
short-term loans, and much of the business could move to small banks, according
to the countrys consumer financial watchdog. The Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau (CFPB) released a regulation on Thursday requiring lenders to determine
if borrowers can repay their debts and capping the number of loans lenders
can make to a borrower. The long-anticipated rule still must survive two
major challenges before becoming effective in 2019. Reuters

Marsha
Blackburn, 'Politically Incorrect And Proud Of It,' Runs For Senate In
Tenn.Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., announced on Tuesday she will run for
Senate in Tennessee  and took a shot at the current Republican leadership
in her announcement video. Calling the place she wants to work "totally
dysfunctional" and "enough to drive you nuts," Blackburn touts that she
is a "hard core, card-carrying Tennessee conservative. I'm politically
incorrect and proud of it." NPR

Trump
At Dinner With Military Commanders Cites 'Calm Before The Storm'While taking photos alongside military leaders and their spouses before
a dinner at the White House, President Donald Trump made an ambiguous statement,
citing "the calm before the storm." "You guys know what this represents?
Maybe it's the calm before the storm," Trump said at the photo op Thursday
night, following a meeting with his top military commanders. When reporters
present asked what he meant, Trump replied: "It could be, the calm, the
calm before the storm." Reporters asked if the storm was related to Iran
or ISIS. CNNVOA VIEW: Reporters seek information to
spin.

US
Customs Vows To Block Imports Made By North Korea WorkersU.S. Customs and Border Protection says it is ready to block U.S. imports
of seafood  as well as any other goods  produced by North Korean laborers
who work in China. An Associated Press investigation tracked salmon, squid
and cod processed by North Korean laborers working abroad to American stores,
including Walmart and ALDI. The North Korean workers found in Chinese factories
aren't allowed to leave, and receive only a fraction of their pay  most
goes straight to the North Korean state. ABC
News

Tillerson
Summoned To White House Amid Presidential FuryJohn Kelly, the White House chief of staff, abruptly scrapped plans
to travel with President Donald Trump on Wednesday so he could try to contain
his bosss fury and manage the fallout from new revelations about tensions
between the president and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to
six senior administration officials. Kelly summoned Tillerson, and their
ally Defense Secretary James Mattis, to the White House, where the three
of them huddled to discuss a path forward, according to three administration
officials. NBC NewsVOA VIEW: The truth will be known.

Muellers
Team Traveled To Interview Ex-Spy Involved In DossierMembers of Special Counsel Robert Muellers team traveled to interview
the former British intelligence officer who authored a dossier alleging
collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, a source close to the
ex-spy tells NBC News. Few other details were forthcoming about the interview,
but Muellers interest in Christopher Steele puts a new focus on the 35-page
dossier he compiled, which includes salacious sexual allegations that then-president-elect
Donald Trump denied. CNN first reported Thursday that the interview with
Muellers team and Steele took place. NBC News

The
GOP Tax Plan Inches ForwardNothing has come easily for Republicans in this, their first year of
full power in Washington. The partys struggles have extended well beyond
its failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing an annual congressional
responsibility that the GOP once relished: passing a budget. House Republicans
finally approved their $4.1 trillion fiscal 2018 blueprint on Thursdaynearly
six months late and over the defections of 18 of their members. Unlike
past years, the importance of the House GOP budget is not its proposed
overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid, or even the trillions of dollars in
cuts it envisions for federal spending. Those ideas likely wont make their
way into law. The Atlantic

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Death
At A Penn State FraternityAt about 3 p.m. on friday, February 3, Tim Piazza, a sophomore at Penn
State University, arrived at Hershey Medical Center by helicopter. Eighteen
hours earlier, he had been in the kind of raging good health that only
teenagers enjoy. He was a handsome, redheaded kid with a shy smile, a hometown
girlfriend, and a family who loved him very much. Now he had a lacerated
spleen, an abdomen full of blood, and multiple traumatic brain injuries.
He had fallen down a flight of stairs during a hazing event at his fraternity,
Beta Theta Pi, but the members had waited nearly 12 hours before calling
911, relenting only when their pledge looked fucking dead. Tim underwent
surgery shortly after arriving at Hershey, but it was too late. He died
early the next morning. The Atlantic

Trump
Wins, Congress Loses With Iran Deal PoliticsPresident Donald Trump has a message to Republicans in Congress --
you don't like the Iran nuclear deal, so you deal with it. His expected
decision to decertify the agreement would allow him to save face and dent
Barack Obama's legacy. And by handing its fate to lawmakers, he would also
limit his political exposure to any decision to kill off a pact backed
by US allies. His expected move is already being condemned by critics,
who warn he is putting US national security at risk to satisfy his own
prejudices toward a deal he has branded an "embarrassment" to America.
Trump has twice previously -- and grudgingly -- been forced to certify
that Iran is complying with its terms. CNNVOA VIEW: The Iran Obama deal was a lie
and bad.

Senate
Democrats Pledge To Give Tainted Harvey Weinstein Donations To CharityRepresentatives for multiple Democratic senators said on Thursday that
they intend to donate thousands of dollars that film producer Harvey Weinstein
gave to their re-election campaigns to charity. The donations came just
hours after a bombshell New York Times story published on Tuesday afternoon
alleging that Weinstein had sexually harassed employees and actresses for
decades. In response to the articles allegations that Weinstein encouraged
female employees to give him massages and watch him bathe naked, beneficiaries
of the producers political largesse have begun distancing themselves from
a powerful former benefactor. Daily Beast

NRA
Points Finger At Hollywood For Mass ShootingsThe head of the National Rifle Associations lobbying arm said Thursday
that gun control is a failed policy and its time to have a broader conversation
about the underlying problem of mass shootings  namely the role Hollywood
has played by fetishizing firearms. The NRA spends millions of dollars
every year teaching safe and responsible gun ownership, and Hollywood makes
billions promoting and glorifying gun violence, Chris Cox, executive director
of NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, told Fox News Tucker Carlson.
And then the same hypocrites come in and suggest were to blame for this.
Huffington
PostVOA VIEW: Liberals have caused the major
problem in Las Vegas.

Whistleblower
Speaks Out: Morale At Interior Department Is In The ToiletInterior Secretary Ryan Zinke has good reason to worry about loyalty
and respect among his staff, says a scientist-turned-whistleblower who
resigned from his agency post Wednesday citing Zinkes poor leadership
and resume of failure. During a speech to an oil industry group last
week, Zinke said: I got 30 percent of the crew thats not loyal to the
flag. The former Montana congressmans comment was met with outrage, including
from a trio of groups representing retired Interior employees, which called
the remarks ludicrous and deeply insulting. Huffington
Post

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Mueller
Team Met With Author Of Trump DossierSpecial Counsel Robert Muellers team reportedly met with Christopher
Steele, the author of the dossier of unverified allegations about President
Trumps connections to Russia, earlier this year. Steele, a former British
intelligence officer, has thus far refused to meet with the Senate Intelligence
Committee on the matter, chairman Richard Burr said on Wednesday, adding
that the committee has "hit a wall" on the issue of the dossier. Daily
Beast

Tillerson
Insists He Isnt About To ResignSecretary of State Rex Tillerson insisted Wednesday that he is not
planning to quit, rebutting persistent reports of policy disputes and personal
clashes with the White House. I have never considered leaving this post,
Tillerson said at an extraordinary and hastily called news conference at
the State Department. Tillerson did not directly respond to an NBC News
report earlier Wednesday that he had referred to President Trump as a moron.
Philadelphia Inquirer

#1
Jared Kushner And Ivanka Trump-The Ultimate Jewish Power CoupleOn January 20, hours after her father took the oath of office, Ivanka
Trump took in a private moment with her family in the White House residence
for the first time. The inauguration this year fell on a Friday, and before
making an exception to go out that night to celebrate, the Jewish first
daughter and her husband, Jared Kushner, were intent to mark the Sabbath.
They did so in the Lincoln Bedroom, lighting Shabbat candles in Donald
Trump's latest home and in doing so marked the first time this religious
act was performed on White House grounds. It was a clarifying personal
moment for Ivanka, in which she realized the significance of her role ahead
as a public figure and, months later, as a formal adviser to the president
of the United States. J PostVOA VIEW: A good first.

Former
Obama Adviser Anita Dunn Helped Harvey Weinstein Strategize Before New
York Times StoryA former top adviser to Barack Obama was among the list of public relations
professionals and lawyers consulting Harvey Weinstein over a major New
York Times story, according to two people familiar with the matter. Anita
Dunn, a top Obama campaign staffer and former White House communications
director, helped offer damage control advice for the Hollywood mogul. On
Thursday afternoon, the New York Times published a major investigation
into Weinstein that features on-the-record claims of sexual harassment,
including from actor Ashley Judd. Buzz FeedVOA VIEW: The NYT is liberal and bias.

Saudi
King, Putin Agree Deals On Historic Russia TripSaudi Arabia has signed preliminary agreements to buy S-400 air defence
systems from Russia, officials said, on the sidelines of King Salman's
"landmark" visit to Moscow. The agreement was announced on Thursday as
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted King Salman - the first sitting
Saudi monarch to visit Russia - for talks at the Kremlin. Along with the
S-400 anti-aircraft missiles, Saudi Arabia is also set to buy Kornet anti-tank
guided missile systems and multiple rocket launchers under the deal. These
agreements are "expected to play a pivotal role in the growth and development
of the military and military systems industry in Saudi Arabia," Saudi Arabian
Military Industries (SAMI), the kingdom's military industries firm said.
Al
Jazeera

Trump
Directed HHS To Deny Iowas Proposal To Fix Health CarePresident Trump directed administration officials to turn down Iowas
request to help people maintain health care coverage and control increasing
premium costs in what critics say is an attempt to sabotage Obamacare.
Trump reportedly read about Iowas request for a Section 1332 waiver in
the Wall Street Journal in late August, according to a source who spoke
to the Washington Post. The waiver is a provision that allows states to
adjust how they implement the Affordable Care Act as long as a comparable
number of people are still covered with a plan that is similarly comprehensive
and affordable without increasing the federal budget deficit. NY
Daily

Cam
Newton Issues Apology After Sexist CommentMore than a day after his sexist comment sent off a firestorm of criticism
and resulted in the loss of at least one sponsor, Cam Newton has finally
issued an apology. The Panthers quarterback posted a two-minute video to
his social media accounts Thursday apologizing for his comment and asking
those who were hurt to find the kindness in your heart to forgive him.
I understand my word choice was extremely degrading and disrespectful
to women. And to be honest, that was not my intention, Newton said in
the video. And if you are a person who took offense to what I said, I
sincerely apologize to you. NY Daily

GOP
Establishment Attacks ItselfThe Republican Party's long-simmering internal divisions under President
Donald Trump, temporarily papered over when his surprise 2016 win gave
the party control of federal government, have erupted into open political
warfare  and the newest insurgents from the establishment are fighting
their former allies. A day after a top West Wing staffer urged heavyweight
donors to close their wallets to Capitol Hill Republicans until Congress
kick-starts Trump's stalled agenda, Politico reports that a group of wealthy
conservatives who have long supported Republican candidates and causes
told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to his face: The GOP won't
get any campaign contributions until he gets a legislative win. US
News & World ReportVOA VIEW: There is no question that Republican
Senators have failed.

Sessions
Instructs Federal Prosecutors To Renew Focus On Violent CrimeThe Justice Department, pointing to a two-year rise in homicides and
other violent crime, said Thursday it plans to dispatch dozens of federal
prosecutors across the country and begin requiring U.S. Attorneys to give
renewed focus to neighborhoods most affected by violent crime. The plan,
an updated version of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Bush-era program initially
launched to tackle gun crime, will require federal prosecutors to come
up with plans to combat violent crime, hold meetings with local law enforcement
and other community representatives, and keep track of whether their efforts
are helping to reduce crime. US News & World
Report

Mattis
Warns DoD Against Leaks In New MemoDefense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a new warning Thursday to all military
and Defense Department civilian personnel against information leaks, and
directed personnel to report suspected leaks, guidance that government
transparency advocates said would have a chilling effect on the publics
right to know. In an internal memo dated Oct. 3 and obtained by the Military
Times, Mattis reminded DoD personnel that it is a violation of our oath
to divulge, in any fashion, non-public DoD information, classified or unclassified,
to anyone without the required security clearance as well as a specific
need to know in the performance of their duties. Mattis also reinforced
the obligation to report leaks. Air Force Times

At
LIU Post, Bill Clinton Talks Politics And TogethernessFormer President Bill Clinton addressed global issues and briefly touched
on his wifes failed presidential campaign Thursday night during an appearance
at LIU Post in Brookville, where he also discussed the administration of
the man who defeated her. Clinton, in both solo remarks and a question-and-answer
session with former Rep. Steve Israel lasting more than an hour, covered
topics in the headlines recently, including immigration, the November presidential
election in which Donald Trump defeated the former first lady, North Korea
and the Middle East. Newsday

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